Once In A Lifetime
by Backstroker98
Summary: Kira walks into Sam and Nate's life on a cold Philadelphia night in a museum and from there the three become an inseparable team. For years, the three chase adventure, treasure, and history's secrets together. However, something more blooms between Sam and Kira over time. Although it seemed short lived at time, it's the kind of love that happens once in a lifetime. SAM/OC
1. Small Beginnings

A/N: Hey all how goes it? So after having the idea for this story in my head for months I'm FINALLY going to start writing it. I have a Last of Us and Walking Dead fan fic in the works, too, but I like having a more than one story going on at once so I can take breaks from one to work on another. I only mention that in case any of you would be interested in checking them out and because my updates can be frequent and infrequent. Alright, enough yapping by me. Let the story begin!

…right after this disclaimer.

 **Disclaimer:** I own zero things from the Uncharted series. The only things that are mine are the original plot ideas and characters.

 **OOOOO**

 **Philadelphia 1989**

Nathan and Sam sat on a bench across the street from one of Phlly's historical societies. It was late November so the East Coast air was cold, resulting in the Drake brothers to bundle up in warm jackets and gloves. Sam still wore the same jean jacket he's had for years to keep the cold out whereas Nate wore a newer green zip up to fight off the cold.

It's been just over a year since the brothers fled from Boston. They went farther down the coast at first as they followed some of their mother's belongings. Once Evelyn's death hit the papers, it was a cluster of historians scrambling over the endless amount of artifacts she had in her home. They were auctioned off by her remaining family members and sold for quite the amount, but that included the one box of things that were Nathan and Sam's mother's. It was a few more journals, some old paperwork, and a few books, but it was also all that Nathan and Sam had left of their mother. That's how they wound up in Pennsylvania. The box of Cassandra's belonging sold to the historical society for the journals that were on display to illustrate the workings of modern historian work. And if the journals were there, so were the rest of the box's contents.

Nathan watched his brother survey the building for the what seemed like millionth time since they got to Philly. There was no way to get into the building by climbing without getting spotted. The streets were too busy at all hours to get in cleanly so one of them were going have to go in the front door and wait until the building closed for the night to make the grab while the other cut the power to the security cameras and sensors.

As Sam surveyed, Nathan's eyes wandered to the streets and sidewalks to watch those walking up and down. Women in heels most likely walking to work while other women were out for their morning jogs. Men talking on the phone with a coffee in hand as they walked their path. Some parents walked with their child hand in hand as they took them home from school. It made a hint of jealousy rise in Nathan, knowing he would never have a parent walk him to school again. But the jealousy soon disappeared as he remembered he had his brother with him and that was enough.

His eyes wandered some more when they landed on the only stand still figure in the huge ocean of people. It was a girl, a little older than Nathan. She was wearing a plain pair of blue jeans with a few holes in them, a black jacket, and grey gloves. Her skin was an olive tone color and despite the distance between them, Nate could make out her dark brown eyes. The way she was looking at the building reminded her of how Sam looked at the building, making him nudge his older brother.

"What?" Sam asked as he looked at his brother.

"That girl over there." Nate pointed out.

Sam looked over at the young girl across the street. "What about her?"

"She's the only person looking at the building the way we are."

Looking at the girl, Sam realized his brother was right. In a moving crowd of people, she was the only person standing still.

The girl ended up looking around at the building for another minute or so before going inside. "Should we go in, too?" Nathan asked.

"She's just a kid." Sam reminded him.

"So am I."

Sam looked at his brother, realizing he was right. The only difference was Nathan had him to do this kind of thing with. "Alright let's go." Sam said, getting up from the bench with Nathan following. They entered the building, paying the entrance fee and then looking around for the young girl.

The building was only two floors and seeing as though it was midafternoon on a weekday, the place wasn't too busy. The first floor consisted of a few American history exhibits, but the second level was where all the new displays would be.

"Over there." Nathan whispered to Sam when he noticed the girl heading up to the second level.

The Drake brothers followed the girl, but were careful not to draw any unwanted attention to themselves. Once upstairs, they found themselves in the modern historian exhibit where the girl began looking at the many glass cases. Nathan and Sam ended up getting their attention pulled away as they looked at the cases for their mother's work. Sam did his best to focus on the task at hand but once Nate pointed out their mother's things, his attention shifted.

Within the protection of a glass case, the familiar pages of their mother's handwriting was displayed. There was the remaining work of their mom was all in the case, the books opened to show the many notes scribbled down in the margins, the paperwork set out to show the kind of work historians did, and the journals to showcase the thoughts and mind of a historian at work.

After a few extended moments, Nathan managed to pull his attention away from the case and located the girl across the mostly empty room staring at a case herself. "Come on." He nudged Sam and the siblings carefully made their way across the room, stopping at a random case when they saw the young girl pull out a small pad of paper and pen from her pocket to scribble something down on the paper.

Once she scrawled whatever she was writing down she looked around herself, her eyes falling on Sam. He averted his eyes from her and pretended to seem interested in something at the case before him. However, he was looking at her in the corner of his eye. He could tell she picked up him and his brother trailing her the way she surveyed the brothers. She was quick to leave the room through a second door at the other end of the room.

"Should we follow her?" Nathan asked his brother.

"No she saw us." Sam replied. "But we're making the grab tonight instead of tomorrow. Let's go find out where the power box is and work out how we're gonna play this. Place closes at seven."

Sam headed towards the exit, but Nathan went over to the case the girl previously stood at. Inside it showed an abundance of pictures taken on a polaroid camera. The photos showed a dig site in Egypt with people digging, recovering artifacts that ranged from old pottery to jewelry, and a few of a man and woman smiling for the camera with the man's arm draped across the woman's shoulder. The woman had darker skin, dark brown eyes, and head of brown hair whereas the man was white with dirty blonde hair. There were also a few notebooks in the case, stained with what looked like sand and water. The writing was scribbled and rushed, but the writing in the variety of books differed. The notebooks had the handwriting of two different people. Along with the notebooks and pictures, there was also a tool belt on a small stand with tools still in it-most likely the ones used at dig site.

Before Nathan could read the description of the display and the items to whom the things belonged to, Sam called out to his brother to come on. Turning away from the case Nathan followed his brother, but with one quick glance back at a photograph he didn't miss how the woman in the one photo had the same eyes as the young girl.

 **OOOOO**

Nathan sat in a bathroom stall, waiting for his brother to come over the walkie talkie to tell him the power was cut and that he could make his way to the room where his mom's display was. He had a backpack on that he could quick shove all of the things into and put on his back so it made climbing down the fire escape all that much easier.

After what felt like an eternity, Sam's voice finally came over the radio.

"Alright little brother, we have about five minutes to get in there, get the stuff, and get the hell out of here. I'll meet you there."

"Copy that."

Nathan made quick work of gathering up his bag and heading out the door of the bathroom. Even though there weren't any security guards in the building, Nathan still moved as quietly as possible down the hallway to the room. His light, careful steps were barely audible against the hardwood as he headed down to the exhibit.

Getting to the door, he quietly opened it and made his way over to his mother's display. He went over to it and pulled out his pocket knife, sticking it into the lock and twisting.

The steps of someone else drew Nathan's attention to the door where he expected to see his brother enter, only a different face made an appearance-it was the young girl from earlier.

"I knew you two were planning something."

Her voice completely took Nathan by surprise. Her vocals were laced with a British accent which seemed out of place in Philadelphia, but for her physical appearance. She didn't look British at all.

"You two saved me a whole lot of work."

The girl made her way over to the case she was looking at earlier. Nathan watched her fiddle with the lock before it opened and she made quick work of taking out all the photographs and notebooks, shoving them in her bag.

Shortly later, Sam walked in and was shocked to find the scene before him. His brother standing frozen as the young girl they trailed earlier picked another display clean. "What the hell?" he said.

"I'd hurry and get what you came in here for." The young girl advised as she loaded her bag. "You're on the streets of Philadelphia. Cops will be here sooner than you think."

"Nathan get mom's stuff. We gotta go." Sam instructed his brother who went back to work on opening the case and grabbing its contents.

"Your mom's stuff?" the girl questioned as she zipped her bag up and put it on her back. "Looks like we're here for the same reason then."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm taking back my parents' research."

Sam was surprised at what the girl had said. The three of them broke into the building for the same reason. Him and Nathan wanted to retrieve the last of their mother's things and this girl just wanted her parents' work back, too.

The girl watched as Nathan loaded the last journal into his backpack, not missing the initials on the off white leather over. A journal she recognized. "Wait…was Cassandra your mom?" the girl asked, making the Drake brothers turn their attention to her. Their mother's name leaving the stranger's mouth was enough to make their hearts stop beating. "How'd you know that?" Sam demanded, his tone stern laced with confusion.

"I just recognized that journal."

Before anyone could say anything else, flashes of red and blue shined through the windows.

"Oh shit." Sam cursed. "We gotta go."

Grabbing his brother's arm, Sam pulled Nathan towards the door and forgetting about the girl. Despite his peaked curiosity and unasked questions, he didn't need him and his brother thrown into jail and losing their mom's things. The tore off down the dark hall and towards the fire escape, climbing out the window and down to the ground effortlessly. Once their feet were on the ground, the Drakes tore off down the alley and away from the sounds of sirens. The air was cold and the wind had picked up, but neither Drake noticed. They just kept running, their breath visible with every exhale down the cold streets.

 **OOOOO**

Later that night, the brothers were eating pizza and flipping through their mother's work in the comfort of a hotel room. It wasn't anything fancy-two beds, a bathroom, and a small television that was left off as they read. Since they got back, neither of them said anything about the girl as they were relishing in the fact that they finally had all of their mother's belongings. It was better than any kind of holiday or gift they could receive. They had pieces of their mom back.

It wasn't until a knock sounded on their door that the silence broke. Sam got up from his bed, telling Nathan to stay put. Only in a t-shirt, socks, and pajama shorts, the oldest Drake looked through the peephole and found himself looking at the face of the young girl again. Knowing she posed no threat, Sam opened the door.

"Hi." She greeted.

"How'd you find us?" Sam immediately asked.

"I followed you. You guys are a little noisy and oblivious for two people running from the cops."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Kira Elfar. If you'd let me in I could maybe do some explaining as to how I know about your mom."

"Come on, Sam." Nathan pressed from where he stood by the beds. "She knew Mom."

Kira looked at the oldest Drake and he looked at her right back. He could tell she really meant no harm by the look in her eyes. That's how he judged people as to whether or not he could trust them-by the look in their eyes.

"Alright." Sam said as he dropped his arm from the door.

 **OOOOO**

Kira sat on one bed while Nate and Sam sat on the opposite and that night, in the confines of a cheap hotel's walls, the Drake boys discovered that Kira's parents, like their mom, were historians. Only they had a strong focus in Egyptian history. Kira's mom, Evie, was a historian from Egypt and her dad, Douglas, was an Englishman whom taught an ancient Egyptian history class at a university in London. Douglas took a trip to Cairo, met Evie, and the two fell in love. After that, Douglas jumped continents to work in the field with his wife. Together they discovered an endless amount of ancient Egyptian burial sites, treasures buried by Egyptian royalties, and other priceless, irreplaceable artifacts.

"I never met your mom, but I remember my parents talking about her." Kira explained. "They were researching explorers who made stops in Egypt and they landed on a few European ones they weren't too familiar with. Your mom was the go to expert in everything that had to do with European history she lent my parents a few journals and books for their research."

Kira went on and when she was done, they Drake brothers were so happy to know more about their mother. Nathan, so young and swept up in the new facts on his late mom, didn't think of the few things that crossed Sam's mind after Kira was done talking.

"So where are our parents now?" he asked.

Kira's face fell. "They died in a car accident two years ago."

"Then who's taking care of you? You're like thirteen."

Sam didn't mean to come across as harsh, but he just wanted to know the girl's situation.

"I'm fifteen thank you very little. And it's just me. I was in foster care, but that was hell so I ran away a few months ago. Once I turn eighteen I'll be out of their records so until then, I'm on the run from the system."

Sam and Nate knew orphanage life and foster care was no different. It was hell. Especially for older kids no parents wanted. Why adopt an angsty teen when you can raise a kid from their beginning stages of life?

Sam could tell she was struggling to get by. Her clothes were worn, especially her shoes, a sign that she's been wearing the same clothes for a while now. She was also a lot thinner than she should be for her height not because of a fast metabolism but because of malnutrition. Even though he knew taking care of Nathan was already a struggle, this girl clearly needed help. It was clear that she was smart, managing to get in and out of the museum undetected, and she wasn't looking for trouble. Like him and Nathan, she just wanted a new life after losing her parents.

"You know, Kira." Sam said as he stood up. He went over and grabbed her the biggest slice of pizza left in the box and set it on a plate. "Nathan and I have our mom's things back, so we were maybe gonna go check out some new sights overseas to keep her work alive. Think you'd wanna tag along?"

Sam handed her the plate and she looked at it for a moment before looking back at him and Nate. Nate seemed just as surprised by the offer as she was.

"Really?" she asked.

"As long as you hold your own and can smooth talk some police time to time, why not? We're all the offspring of some of the finest historians, why not continue all their work together?"

With a smile, Kira accepted the plate of pizza from Sam. He sat down next to his brother and let her eat while they worked out where their next stop was. They didn't know what their futures held, but that was the best part of the start of their adventure. They didn't know what awaited them next.


	2. You're A Drake

**Philadelphia 1989**

After Sam and Nate welcomed in Kira, they wound up having to spend some extra time in Philly while Sam worked on getting forged documentation for Kira. Since they'd be traveling as a trio, it would make sense for it to look like Kira was Sam and Nate's sister on paper. So Kira Elfar became Kira Drake. Sharing a name with one of the world' most famous explorers was pretty neat and frankly, she liked the way it sounded. Kira Drake. Although the last name she shared with her parents she'd always treasure, having a new one made her realize that she was finally getting a new start to a new life she's dreamed of having.

It didn't take long for Kira to feel comfortable with the Drake brothers which Sam especially noticed. Sam left one night to go pick up dinner for the three of them as Kira talked to Nathan all about Egyptian mummies and when Sam returned, Nathan was telling her all about England's finest circumnavigators. The two didn't stop talking for hours about history. The sight brought Sam a special kind of joy. Nathan was still so young when the two of them were put in the orphanage that he didn't have any friends in his early days. And then in the orphanage, Nathan got into more feuds then friendships. So the sight of his little brother with a genuine, good friend made him happy.

One night after working an odd job in the afternoon to raise a few bucks for the three, Sam came back to the motel room to find the two fast asleep on the floor with their mothers' journals around them. Sam just rolled his eyes with a smile as he picked up all the journals and books, placing them in the correct bags before lifting his little brother off the floor. He put Nathan on his bed and pulled the covers over him before turning around and lifting Kira off the floor.

Sam already knew for her age and height she was pretty skinny, but when he lifted her like she weighed nothing he realized just how hard she's had it since she ran away from foster care. He made a mental note to make sure she ate enough in the future so she could grow the way she was supposed to.

As he laid her on the bed, she let out a soft sound as she readjusted to a mattress instead of the hard floor. Sam pulled the sheets over her and turned off the bedside lamp before making his way to the bathroom for a shower.

"Thanks." He heard her whisper quietly before she fell back to sleep.

 **OOOOO**

The three remained at the motel for just about two weeks while Sam worked on getting forged paperwork for Kira. Once it was done, the three worked on getting gout of Philly and somewhere else. "You know if you want to find more out about Francis Drake," Kira said one night over dinner. "The best place to go for information is where he came from."

"London." Nathan added.

Sam smiled as he nodded. "Alright." He agreed. "London it is."

With the money Sam made in the last year plus the money he'd accumulated in Philly in the short time they were there, getting to London wasn't a problem. Once they had a destination, Sam took his brother and Kira to a consignment store to get them clothes more appropriate for London. Kira still only had the clothes on her back from the night they met and Nathan's clothes needed to be replaced with how ratty they were getting. His jeans had holes at the knees and his shirts were getting smaller as he got bigger.

At the consignment store, Nathan managed to find some nice pairs of blue jeans, a couple of button up shirts, and even two new pairs of sneakers. Sam settled on what he's always wore: jeans, baseball tees, and boots. Kira took a little bit more time picking out her clothes since it was the first time she was getting new ones for a while. As Sam tried on a jacket he found, he noticed how closely she looked at each piece of clothing she pulled out to decide whether or not she liked it. He smiled when she settled on a few items, new jeans, a couple of sweaters, a brown leather jacket, and a worn pair of boots that fit her feet perfectly.

"Alright I'm gonna go quick pick us up something to eat." Sam told Kira and Nathan as they got together all their clothes. "Here's the money for the clothes. I'll meet you back here in ten minutes and then we'll get back."

Sam handed Nathan the money and headed for the door. Not long after Sam walked out, Kira saw a familiar face walk in. Her heart immediately dropped to her stomach at the sight of the familiar middle aged man. She pulled Nathan behind the one rack of clothes, pulling him down out of sight.

"What're you-" Nathan began, but Kira cut him off.

"Shh!" she said. "Whatever you do, don't get up."

"I know you're in here, Kira." A third voice said.

Nathan saw a look of fear on Kira's face right before she stood up.

Kira looked at the man a mere twenty feet away as a sly smile appeared on his face. "There you are." He said. "You have been a hard little lady to track down."

"That's because I didn't want to be found." Kira retorted.

"And I wouldn't have found you had I not seen a headline of the historical society being broken into where your parents' things were among the things stolen."

A silence fell as Kira clenched her fists. He looked the same as he did a few years ago when she saw him last. He stood at almost six feet tall with a head of graying brown hair, a pair of dark brown eyes that matched his white skin. He was wearing a suit like he often did, the fit perfectly tailored as always.

"Now Kira," he began as he walked over towards her, but she couldn't let him get near Nathan. He couldn't know she was with someone else, so she walked around to him. "you're going to come with me. It's time to go home. Susan and I can forgive you for running away, but only if I have to ask once and once only."

Silence fell in the air and Nathan couldn't see anything from where he was crouched down. He waited for Kira to respond as questions circled his brain. Who was the man? How did Kira know him?

"I ran away for a reason." Kira finally replied. "You made my life a hell."

Nathan flinched as the sound of the man's hand striking Kira's face filled the room. Her head only went to the side. He's done it enough to her for her not to fall to the ground anymore.

"You _will_ come back with me, you ungrateful child." The man hissed. "Susan and I gave you a life some could only dream of having. We gave you a life of opportunity and yet you still ran. Let's go."

The man grabbed Kira by the arm and pulled her out of the store as Nathan finally came out of cover. He didn't know what to do. If he ran after her, what would he do to stop the man? But he didn't care if he didn't have a plan, Kira was with him and Sam now and there was no way he was going to let her get taken away by someone like that.

Nathan bolted out of the store and looked left and then right to see the man pulling Kira towards a black car. He ran towards it as the man loaded Kira into the backseat. He stopped a few feet away, not wanting to get in over his head too quickly. "To the Park Hotel." the man said to the driver as he got into the backseat with Kira.

Nathan watched them drive off and felt his heart drop at the sight. Kira was gone and there was nothing he could do. As a million thoughts circled his head, the familiar voice of his brother pulled him back down to Earth.

"What are you doing, Nathan?" Sam asked as he approached his baby brother, a bag of food in one hand. Nathan turned around with watery eyes. "Woah, woah, woah, what's wrong?" Sam asked. "Where's Kira?"

"He took her." Nathan answered.

"Who?"

"Some guy. He just took her."

Sam's entire body ran cold as if his blood turned to ice. If someone took Kira, it was probably someone from the foster system.

"I heard him say they were going to the Park Hotel." Nathan told his brother. "I couldn't stop him, though Sam, I-"

"Nathan this isn't your fault." Sam cut his brother off. It wasn't Nathan's fault at all and he had to make sure he knew that. "We're gonna get her back and because of you, we know where to go. Now let's go get her."

"We gotta get her back." Nathan said as the brothers began walking the direction of the hotel.

"We will." Sam assured him.

"No, Sam, we _have_ to get her back. The guy…he hit her."

Sam stopped dead in his tracks at that information as his blood went from ice to fire. He was pissed. Not only did someone take Kira against her will, the bastard laid a hand on her. Whoever this guy was would be lucky if Sam managed to get Kira back without having to cross his path.

 **OOOOO**

At the hotel, Kira sat on a bed with her legs and arms crossed as she looked out the fifth story window. She had run out of tears to shed a while ago when she locked herself in the bathroom and cried into a towel for what seemed liked hours. Her sorry excuse for a foster parent was sitting out in the living area while she sat in her room. He was arranging a flight to take them to Maryland where "home" was. It was the last place Kira wanted to go. All she wanted was to be back with Nathan and Sam, but instead here she was in a hotel room with the last person she wanted to be sharing space with.

Not long later, he knocked on the door and entered after a few moments passed with no response. "We are leaving for the airport in an hour." He told her as she didn't as much spare him a glance. "Try to make yourself just a little but presentable."

He shut the door after that and left Kira to herself. She grabbed a pillow from the bed and pressed her face into it, letting out a loud, suppressed scream. Somehow, someway, she had to get out of this. She couldn't go back to the life he was dragging her back to. A life where she was abused and unhappy and where the foster system couldn't care less.

 **OOOOO**

"How do I look?" Sam asked his younger brother. He managed to get his hands on a hotel employee's uniform that allowed him to pass for one himself. Then using his Boston accent and brown eyes, he managed to find out that the man who took Kira was in room five fifteen. "Their car for the airport will be here in an hour." She told Sam. "You can catch them when they come down to check out."

Once they had that information, Sam and Nathan put together a plan. Sam would go up to the fifth floor posing as a bell hop to have Kira within his range. Once they got down to the lobby, Nathan would pull the fire alarm that would create a panic, allowing Sam to pull Kira away from the man she was with and the three to get away as cleanly as possible.

After some time ticked by, Sam made his way up fifth floor and to the fifteenth room. The hotel was real nice, something Sam doubt he'd ever be able to afford. It made him wonder what kind of man it was that grabbed Kira. If he could afford to stay at a place like this, he had to be well off.

When he got to the door he knocked and the door opened, revealing a tall middle aged man. "Are you here for the bags?" he asked.

"Yes." Sam answered with a smile.

"Right then. Kira, sweetie, time to go!"

Sam's heart started to pound as the man allowed him inside to get the bags. The sound of footsteps sounded and he looked up, finding Kira's surprised face looking at him. Her hair was slightly damp, as if she had just taken a shower, and she was in a clean pair of light blue jeans and a dark purple sweater. But what caught Sam's attention was the bruise that had formed on her right cheekbone. He clenched his jaw tight, wanting to go after the man right then and there. "You look better, honey." The man said to Kira as he approached her. "I know how much you loved that sweater; that's why I packed it…and I'm sure your mother will have some makeup to cover that bruise. Nasty fall that was."

Sam wanted to tear the man's arm off and beat him with it when he put an arm around Kira, but he only had to keep up the act for a few more minutes. He gave Kira a smile and picked up the bags to take out, the two following him to the elevators.

The ride down was quiet and Sam could feel the tension between Kira and the man. She looked uncomfortable and almost afraid the longer she stood next to him. Sam wanted to tell her to just breathe, relax, that it would be over soon, but he couldn't. So he settled for just giving her a reassuring look when the man was preoccupied with his phone.

When they got down to the lobby, Sam led the two out and looked to see where Nathan was and sure enough he was right by the fire alarm. With a nod as green light, the youngest Drake pulled it and the alarm screeched across the entire lobby. Just like he hoped, people began to run and Sam acted fast. He dropped the suitcases, grabbed Kira's hand, and took off in a full sprint towards the doors as Nathan did the same. "Don't look back!" Sam told her as they raced towards the front.

"Stop those two!" the man's voice yelled after them as Sam and Kira pushed through the people. In the crowd, Sam lost sight of his brother but knew he was bound to be somewhere outside.

The winter air hit the Sam and Kira in the face as they got outside, sending goosebumps down their body. Kira's damp hair was no help to her as it only made her colder.

"Where's Nathan?" Kira's British laced accent asked.

Sam looked around and saw no sign of his brother, but as he turned around he noticed the man making his way through the crowd of people after them.

"We said we'd meet back at the motel once I got you, so let's get away from him." Sam told her as he pulled her through the crowd.

Philly was crowded enough as is, but factor in waves of people leaving a hotel in frantic and firetrucks blocking traffic, it was an even bigger cluster. Sam and Kira ran down the street, Sam stripping out of his bellhop jacket along the way. They ran in the direction of the motel, but after running for about five minutes Kira stopped.

"Let me just catch my breath." She told Sam.

Sam obliged, finally letting her go and looking behind them.

"I think we lost him." He told her before looking back at her as she leaned against a wall. "Who was he?"

Kira closed her eyes as she took a few breaths before looking at Sam. "My foster dad." She answered. "He and his wife are the reasons I finally took off."

Sam walked over and leaned on the wall next to her as he motioned to her face. "That another reason?" he asked.

Kira just nodded as she looked away.

"We leave for London tomorrow morning. It won't be long until he's thousands of miles behind you."

Kira looked at Sam. "You and Nathan…you came back for me."

"Of course we did." He replied. "You're a Drake, remember?"

She smiled and gave a much happier nod.

"Now let's get back to Nathan. I'm sure he's back by now."

 **OOOOO**

When Sam and Kira walked in the door, Nathan immediately jumped off the bed and ran over to Kira. He wrapped his arms around her, making her stumble a bit from the impact of the first, but found herself hugging him back. Sam smiled at the sight.

"Are you alright?" Nathan asked as they broke apart.

"I am now." She told him. "Thanks to you two."

The three then got settled for the night once they had their few bags packed for tomorrow. Since they never got the chance to purchase the clothes from the consignment store earlier, they figured they'd just wait to pick up new clothes when they got to London. Nathan fell asleep pretty quick, but Sam stayed up to read. Kira laid down to sleep, but it took a while for her slumber to come. Once she remembered where she was though, she able to fall into a deep, peaceful sleep.


	3. Protector

**Philadelphia 1989**

The next day Sam, Nate, and Kira headed to the airport fully ready to leave Philadelphia behind. They had an early flight, eight in the morning, so they would land in London early in the afternoon. Each of them only had a small suitcase and a backpack which saved them the trouble of not having to check any bags. It was also reassuring to know they didn't have to risk the airport losing a bag with the few possessions the three did have. All together they only had a few pairs of clothes, the things they took from the museum, and other small necessities.

Once they got their boarding passes, they got through security no problem and found their terminal. Nate set up in a chair with a book while Sam secured all their necessary documentation. As he looked at all their papers, he noticed Kira pull out a small black case from her bag. It fit in her hand and when she opened it, he noticed it was makeup. She pulled out a small cotton square and dabbed it in the light tan pressed powder to apply to her face-right over the bruise left by her foster dad.

"You don't have to cover it up." Sam told her, making her look at him. "It makes you look tough."

"Tough?" she questioned. "I got this because I was too scared to fight back."

The statement caught Sam off guard, causing him to put down the things in his hand. He may not have known Kira so long, but knew enough that she was a smart, kind, strong girl. "Kira," he replied. "Kira, you are not weak."

"Doesn't feel that way."

"Well you aren't." Sam repeated. "You got dealt a shitty hand, but endured what life threw at you. Now it's time to put it all behind you by getting on this plane and never having to see parts of the bad chapter of your life again."

Kira smiled and tucked the case away in her bag, making Sam smile. "See." He said. "You look like a bad ass. Anyone asks, you beat the shit out of someone."

The laugh Kira let out warmed Sam's heart to see her smile. She's suffered so much for such a young age, just like he and Nathan have, and she was finally getting the new life she's been longing for. The more he got to know Kira, the more joy he took in the fact the him and Nathan were giving her that life.

As for Kira, she was grateful enough for being around good people again. Sam and Nate were the best people she's met in ages. So far in the short time they've spent together, they've proved to be kind, selfless, and dependable. She knew she still had a lot to learn about them and their past, but she would take them over anyone else at this point.

Just as Sam got comfortable, Nathan's book dropping to the floor startled him. "Kira isn't that the driver from yesterday?" he gasped.

Kira immediately looked where Nathan was and felt her heart drop as she nodded. Sam saw the fear play on her face at the realization that her foster dad was most likely not far. But Sam refused to let that man anywhere near Kira ever again. "Get your bags and hide in the bathrooms." He told Kira and his brother as he gathered their bags together. Once they had all their belongings, he took both of their arms and led them towards the bathrooms. "Don't come out until I find you."

"What about you?" Kira questioned, worried what plan Sam had cooking up in his head.

"I'll take care of this. Just stay put." Sam gave her a a reassuring look before taking off towards the direction of the driver.

Kira hesitantly backed up into the bathroom with her items and locked herself in the first empty stall she saw. She stood on top of the toilet clutching her backpack close to her chest in fear as she squeezed her eyes shut. The last thing she wanted to do was bring harm to Sam and Nathan, the only two people who have fought this hard to keep her safe since her parents died. As she felt tears prick at her eyes, she covered her mouth with her hand to make sure she didn't make a sound. She had no idea what Sam could do to make him just up and go away, making sure to never cross her path again.

As the thoughts continued to swirl her mind in an endless cycle, she heard the door open. "Kira?" Sam's voice came. "You can come out."

Kira wasted no time rushing out of the bathroom to find Sam outside the bathroom awaiting her. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around his torso in relief to see him alright. The action surprised Sam at first, but remembered that she was scared and wrapped his arms around her. It seemed to calm her down at first, but Sam still saw the fear play in her irises when he looked at her.

"What happened?" she asked.

After a few moments of hesitance, he offered a smile. "I found him and told I put you on a plane somewhere he'd never find you and that you're long gone."

"And he believed you?"

"I'm a good liar."

"And he just let you go?"

"There was nothing else he could do. As far as he's concerned, you're gone. Even if he could somehow look at every outgoing flight from the last few hours, you weren't on any of them. We're on the flight for London in a half an hour."

Tears of joy formed at the corners of Kira's eyes as she smiled. "He's really gone?"

"He's gone. You'll never see him again if I can help it."

Kira found herself hugging Sam again and he hugged her back. Once she was collected, Sam fetched Nathan and then it was time to board. Sam hurried to get the three of them on the plane and in their seats, quickly, Nathan realizing a change in his brother's attitude.

The three were airborne shortly after, Kira falling asleep almost right away in her seat. The events of the last few days drained her and she was ready to wake up in a new country. Nathan pulled out his book to begin reading, but noticed his brother sat in his seat with his hands folded in his lap, a vacant stare on his face. As Nathan looked at his brother, he could tell something was off. He knew his brother as well as he knew himself sometimes and when something was wrong, he knew. They were finally making strides as the exploreres they longed to be

"Sam what happened?" he asked.

"What do you mean, Nathan?" Sam questioned.

"Something's wrong. Did something happen with that guy?"

"All you should remember is that we'll never have to deal with him again, alright?"

"Sam, what did you do?"

A silence fell between the two brothers for a moment as Sam closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "What I had to."

 **OOOOO**

A/N: Short, I know, and it's been a long time since I updated but between writer's block and my last few months of high school, I've neglected my stories a bit. But I'm back and ready to continue these stories for you all so stay tuned!


	4. Hello Again

Hello Readers!

No, not an actual chapter update, but rather an explanation for all of you as I've been on a hiatus for the last few months.

This past summer, I went on several trips that kept me away from my computer entirely for a while and when I was home, I was working. On top of that, I was preparing to enter my freshman year of college so I had a very busy, hectic, summer. Then when I got to college, I had to reacclimate to a new life as I am attending a college almost three hundred miles from home. I also became swept up in a sport again so that has also take up a bit of my time as well.

Speaking with a 100% honesty, I haven't touched any of my current stories for the most part, not because I am abandoning them or you guys, but because I spent so much time and energy trying to update at a reasonable pace so you all, my lovely and dedicated readers, got the story at a good clip. With that though, cranking out not only new chapters, but chapters with good writing, substance, and story-telling, it took a lot of time and a lot of energy. I don't want to give you guys shit chapters just for the sake of putting out a new chapter. Some of you reading have followed my stories for years now and you deserve good writing just as much as my stories do. On top of that, I sort of hit a wall on where to go next on my stories. The dreaded writer's block and loss of muse.

I'm putting this message out to you guys now because with my hiatus, I feel like I can produce some really good writing again. The writer's block I've had and lack of inspiration has finally dissipated and I'm ready to get back into it. That doesn't mean I am going to get some new chapters up today or even this week, but I am coming up on my winter break and will hopefully be able to get a couple of chapters to each of my stories over the nxt month or so.

I won't apologize for taking a hiatus, but I will apologize for not giving you guys an explanation as to why. Hopefully I can make it up to you with future updates.

Hope to see your reviews soon on the chapters.

Happy Reading!

 _ **-Backstroker98**_


	5. Enter Victor Sullivan

**Cartagena, Columbia 1990**

Sam laid on a wooden bench, tossing a small ball up and down while his eyes remained glued to the ceiling. After getting caught acquiring food unethically, he got tossed in a holding cell until either Nathan or Kira bailed him out. Unfortunately, neither of them knew Sam was in a cell to begin with. Although they were all in the same area, Nate was preoccupied with the Francis Drake exhibit while Kira spent her days off breaking minor laws at the local library. She became a regular there rather quickly and the librarian took a shine to her. This ended in a small paying gig which funded food, clothes when needed, and money to put into their savings for future travels.

"Hey Chico!" a rough voice sounded.

"Que?" he responded without getting up.

"A pretty young thing is here for you."

Sam immediately got off the sorry excuse for a bed at the news. The only "pretty things" that knew of his existence in Colombia was a girl his age he drank with a few nights before and Kira. The latter was much more plausible. The Colombian guard unlocked the cell door and motioned for him to come out. Sam did as the guard instructed and followed him out to the front where sure enough, Kira stood at a desk signing papers. She looked up when she finished signing to see a disheveled Sam a few feet away. His jeans were ripped in the right knee and left thigh as well as having a layer of dust on them. His shirt was no better, a simple gray t-shirt with an equal amount of dust on it from the dirt floating around.

Kira on the other and looked much more presentable. She had a few cleaner, nicer outfits to work at the library in. Nothing fancy, just jeans with no holes and shirts that required hangers. Today she was in a clean pair of blue jeans and short sleeved purple button up. She also was wearing her nice pair of flats she only wore to the library since she did not want to have spend any more money than needed.

In the last year she has been with the Drake boys, she has come a long way. When she first met Sam and Nathan, she was underweight, malnourished, and just all around not healthy. Now at sixteen and after a year of having the ability to take better care of herself, she looks like a new person. She has filled out her figure, accenting her body with curves while still maintaining an athletic figure from the amount of activity she partakes in. Her black hair has grown out significantly, falling between her shoulder blades when it was not in a ponytail. Her olive toned skin was a darker shade from the Colombian sun which made her brown eyes stick out more.

Sam smiled at the sight of her, adding another tally to her "bailed me out" chart he kept in his head. One day, he would make it up to her for all the times she has gotten him out from behind bars.

"Muchas gracias señor." Kira said to the guard. "Prometo que haré todo lo posible para mantenerlo alejado de problemas."

The guard offered her a smile as he went to return to his office, but not before shooting a "watch it, kid" look at Sam. He shoved his hands in his pocket as he joined Kira to leave.

The two walked out together, Kira looping her arm with Sam's. It was something that she began doing to ward off unwanted attention of the Colombian streets. When a young man kept hassling her for a date Sam appeared and she quick looped her arm with his, claiming she was already spoken for. Sam did not mind, as he saw it as another way to protect Kira. She was not one to seek protection, as she did that for herself for a long time, but it was nice to have reinforcements.

The sun had begun to set, the night sky sure to take over by the time they reached their place of residence. Sofia, the librarian whom hired Kira, was kind enough to allow the trio to stay in an apartment space she usually rented out as a hostel for travelers. However, she decided to offer it to the three since it would not be forever. The place was not much, only a one-bedroom space with a small living room, kitchen, and bathroom. The boys were kind enough to give the bedroom to Kira, to which she responded with getting them a twin mattress each in a less than lawful way. Before she got them, the boys were sufficed to some ratty blankets and pillows on old couches. Now, they had something a bit more comfortable to sleep on, along with clean sheets and pillows. It was the least she could do for the brothers.

"So…" Kira began. "What did you do this time?"

Sam shrugged as they walked on. "May have tried to steal some food."

"Sam…"

He could hear the disappointment in her voice. Before they had a legitimate sense of income, they were scraping by and they all knew they had to do what they needed to, so they could survive. Now that there was a small bit of income to sustain the three of them just barely, Kira told both the boys they needed to minimize the criminal activity to remain under the radar. Nathan obliged, but Sam obviously not so much.

"I'm sorry, Kira." He apologized. "I know we said we would do our best, but I just wanted to add more to the travel fund."

The travel fund was the money the three of them managed to scrounge together to afford the flights would take in the future. They spent a long time in London before flying to Colombia when they learned of the Francis Drake exhibit. Depending on what they found there, they would be travelling somewhere else sooner than later. Truthfully Kira would miss Colombia after meeting Sofia and finding the gig at the library. It was the first time she felt somewhat normal in her life, but then she remembered that nothing about her life was or never would be normal. Most of the time, she was happy about that; she loved her extraordinary life and doubted she could see herself living any other life nowadays. Sometimes though, she would see parents walking with their kids down the street or a teenage couple eating at one of the local food spots and could not help but wonder what her life would have been if her parents were still alive.

Kira did not realize she had zoned out from her interaction with Sam until he abruptly stopped, making her steps falter. She immediately turned towards him to look at him, but only the top of his chest until she looked up. She met his brown eyes with hers where she found irises that signaled an unanswered response.

"You with me, doll?" he said.

Right away, Kira rolled her eyes. "Doll" was something Sam called Kira to get under her skin. He did not know when he started calling her it, but he said it one day and got the reaction out of her. Ever since, he has done it to provoke the same response. He watched the eye roll transition into a smile as she looked up at him. "Yeah, I'm here." She told him, making him smile back. "But when I say keep a low profile, just do it…for me." Kira batted her long eyelashes making Sam laugh and put an arm around her as they kept walking.

Within a few minutes, Sam and Kira found themselves back at their apartments. Kira was in the middle of asking Sam what he wanted to prepare for dinner as she walked in behind him when he suddenly put an arm up to guard her. He pulled her closer to him to guard her as he eyed the man with Nathan in their apartment whom seemed to be in his late thirties.

"Who the hell are you?" Sam demanded immediately. "Nathan get over here, now!"

"No, Sam, just listen!" Nate begged.

"Nathan, I said now!"

"Just settle down there, kid." The man interjected. "This is just out of context, let me explain.

Kira observed the man and despite the mustache, he did not seem like the creepy type. In fact, the man kind of reminded her of the types her father once told her stories about. His demeanor just read, "might be sketchy, but still not a bad guy". Coupled with Nathan's natural intelligence, the work he was doing at the museum, and the nature of their business there, Kira concluded that this guy may have been more help to them than a hazard. Carefully, she put her arm on Sam's and then lowered it.

"Calm down, Samuel." She said, Sam immediately noticing the use of his full name. She only used it in times of seriousness. The moments were far in between most of the time but when they arose, Kira managed to bring Sam to his senses. This proved true when Sam allowed Kira to step out from behind him, but he remained alert for his brother and Kira.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Kira questioned as she remained close to Sam.

"The name is Victor Sullivan," he began. "Or Sully. I managed to help Nate here escape death."

Both Sam and Kira looked to Nate for confirmation who then nodded. "It's true," he told them. "We weren't the only one looking to take something from the exhibit."

"Long story short, we both here pissed of some people who you don't really want to know where you are after that." Sully added. "Now I know you may not trust me fully, but partly trust me for the time being. These are people whose bad sides are your worst nightmares and I know that after today, they are not going to just let Nate and I here off so easily."

Sam and Kira exchanged a look with one another after Sully spoke his piece. She could tell Sam remained skeptical, but Kira was more willing to take chance, especially if it meant keeping the three of them out of danger. She moved over to Nathan and engulfed him in a hug. With the immediate tension upon entering the room, the news that he escaped death tonight was all but glossed over. Nathan easily hugged her back and Sam looked at them with a smile.

"Thank you," Sam said. "for bringing him home safe. We appreciate it, but how can we trust you?"

"I didn't leave Nate here to die." Sully reminded them. "And you guys are obviously mature for your age, there is no disputing that, but three teenagers travelling alone is going to eventually raise some red flags somewhere. Plus, I have connections and people that you don't that will help in the future. We can help each other out."

Kira looked to Sam as she released Nathan. "He's right, Sam." She agreed. "If we managed to piss off the wrong people, well we know how that goes."

Sam knew she was referencing what happened when they encountered her foster dad and how they all managed to barely get out of that predicament. He also knew he valued the safety of his brother and Kira more than the risk of letting anyone take them from him. Based on the odds, he knew he had to take a chance on Sully, even if he was not completely sold on him yet. He approached Sully, so he was only a step away. "Alright, we help each other; that's the deal." He said. "But if you make me regret this choice, I will kill you. Those two mean more to me than anything else in this world. If you are a reason they get hurt, you will regret it."

Despite Sam being a teenager, Sully saw the look in his eye that caused a shiver down his spine like lightening. He could tell Sam was a devoted member to his family and anyone who dared threaten them would pay. Sully did not see this as a bad thing, Sam was loyal to those he cared about, and Sully respected that.

"You have my word, I will always do my best to keep all of you safe." Sully promised.

Sam nodded and extended a hand to him. "Samuel Drake." He replied. "Call me Sam."

A/N: It's been a minute, but I am back. Be sure to review and stay tuned 😊


	6. I Hope You Dance

**Costa Rica 1990**

Sam could hardly believe three full years had passed since he and his brother abandoned their orphanage and two years since they met Kira. Nate was now sixteen and Kira seventeen while Sam was soon to be twenty-one. Despite his brother and Kira still being teenagers, it felt like they were more adults than anything else. With all that they have gone through with one another in the last few years is more than some experience in a lifetime. It was something Kira and the Drake brothers were used to by now, but it killed a part of Sully knowing that all three kids were robbed of a big part of their life due to their circumstance. While he knew they were smarter than the professors at ivy league schools and would do great things in the world, a part of him wished they did not lead a life that could easily get them killed.

The four of them were laying low for a while to avoid Marlow's radar, so they figured they should find somewhere warm and sunny to do so. They were staying in a nice house right near one of the local beaches within a small town, so they did not need to travel far for necessities. It was hard for Sam to admit, but having Sully around proved to be a good thing. He had a much wider network of contacts to utilize around the world, hence much nicer place they were staying now. Before Sully came around, the Drakes stayed in hostels and cramped apartments when found new place, but the Costa Rican house was a huge upgrade. Nate and Drake had a room to themselves, allowing Kira to have her privacy in her own bedroom. Sully opted for the pullout in the living room to give the kids their own spaces and beds. Besides, he liked being closer to the entrance in case anyone showed up. That way, he could protect the three young ins in the bedrooms down the hall.

There was also a well-sized kitchen stocked with all sorts of necessities from cookware to nonperishables. Off the kitchen was a table surrounded by chairs and beyond that, a living area complete with a couch, loveseat, and small television. There were three bathrooms, two in the bedrooms and one off the living room. It was also on one floor, making the house easy to navigate and clean when needed. All in all, the house was great, and more than the Drakes ever expected in this early in their travels. Despite doing some networking in London after their departure from Philadelphia and meeting Sully in Columbia, they did not have many connections. Now, with Sully, they did.

After about a week of being in Costa Rica, the four found themselves in a little outdoor restaurant a short walk from their house enjoying seafood and local music. Lights were strung up on the wooden pillars and ceiling, the tables encircling the dance floor in the center of the room. The sun had already begun to set, making the world around them dimmer and relying on the lights of the restaurant to light the area. They were right on the beach, so the sound of waves could be heard as they hit the sand. The air was warm, but a gentle breeze coupled with the closeness of the water helped with the warm temperatures. The foursome enjoyed a seafood dinner complete with crab, shrimp, and clams and sides of rice and beans. Sully and Sam sipped on rum punches while Kira and Nate opted for water. As they ate, Sully entertained them with stories of his past that excluded Marlow to keep the mood as light as possible.

As Sam found himself cracking open a crab leg, he heard the sound of Kira laughing at something Sully said as she was in the middle of eating another coconut shrimp. He looked across the table and saw the widest smile on her, making her eyes appear closed and the smile lines around her mouth to appear. The sight of her laughing made him smile. The image of her when they first met would forever be engrained in his head; when she was a small, undernourished, scared teenage girl. In the last two years, she blossomed into the happy, healthy soon-to-be adult she was today. Sam always thought of this in moments like this; where things were seemingly perfect. He would see the growth in Kira and wonder what would have happened to her if their paths never crossed in Philadelphia. Then he would put the thoughts out of his head because she was here, with him, safe and sound.

As they ate, people began to step onto the dance floor as the band began to play more upbeat tunes. Kira watched the couples and kids move to the music so effortlessly as if they did the dances everyday of their life. Between the food, music, atmosphere, and perfect weather, it really was a perfect moment. She ate the rest of her plate of coconut shrimp while listening to Sully's stories and watching the people on the floor dance. Part of her wanted to get up and dance herself, but she did not even know how to. Plus, she did not want to go out by herself. Then, as if he could read her mind, Sully stood up and extended a hand to her.

"Care to dance, young lady?" he asked, making her smile.

She accepted his hand and he pulled her up, twirling her once as they moved towards to floor. In that moment, she was grateful for her comfortable sandals and sundress that allowed her to move easily and comfortable. She allowed Sully to lead as he took her hand in one of his and placed the other around her waist as she placed hers on his shoulder.

From the table, Nate and Sam watched as Sully and Kira moved about the dance floor. They were both laughing and smiling with every step and twirl. It made both boys smile as they finished their food.

"I'm really glad we found her." Nate told Sam.

"Me, too, little brother." Sam replied.

A few minutes passed of Sully and Kira dancing when a boy around Kira's age approached them, causing them to stop. Sam watched as the boy said something to the two before Sully offered Kira's hand to them, the two going on to dance as Sully walked away. The change in situation made Sam's awareness pick up, immediately asking Sully who the boy was.

"He asked to dance with Kira," he told him. "That's all."

Nate also watched Kira on the dance floor, his own sort of protective nature kicking in as he watched Kira with a stranger. Despite the worriless look upon her face, the Drake brothers kept an eye on Kira.

"Boys," Sully said as he took a sip of his rum punch. "She's fine and only a couple yards away. Stop staring."

Before the brothers could reply, two young girls appeared at the table. They were obviously sisters from the similar eyes and hair, but one was visibly older based upon the aging on her face. She was older than Sam, but most likely not by too many years. The younger one looked to be right around Nate's age, though. Both were wearing flip flops and sundresses with smiles on their face as if they did not have a single worry in the world. They asked the Drake brothers for a dance, making the boys' nerves activate. Nether of them knew how to dance.

"Sure." Nate said as he stood up and walked onto the dance floor with the younger sister. Sam also accepted the invitation from the older sister, his eyes going over to Kira again as he stepped onto the dance floor. Once he had her in the line of his vision, he felt better about having her out of his sight more.

Sam ended up enjoying his time on the dance floor, allowing the girl, whose name he learned was Anya, to lead him through the steps. He saw Nate enjoying his dance with Anya's younger sister, Yazmin. Sully managed to find a single woman on the perimeter to dance with him, meaning that all four of them were on the dance floor with a partner enjoying the lively evening. As Kira danced with her partner, Alejandro, she saw Sam with the pretty, tall woman a few people over. She was glad she was no longer the only one dancing, but could not help but wish she could dance with Sam. The thought caught her off guard, and she quickly refocused her attention on Alejandro, whom twirled her and pulled her back into his frame close.

The night passed by quickly in the best possible way, as it was time spent dancing, smiling, and laughing with breaks to rehydrate. Kira ended up dancing with Nate at one point and Sully again, but Sam did not last long on the floor with his partner. He danced for a while, but politely excused himself from continuing after a while. He sat back down and watched his brother, Kira, and Sully all swing around the floor happily. After a while, they returned to the table.

"Okay, that was a lot of fun!" Kira said as she sat down and pulled her locks into a ponytail. She made a mental note to herself that a haircut would need to happen soon.

"It was," Sully agreed before taking a long sip from his cup. "I don't even remember the last time I danced."

The party began to die down slowly after that and when the four were gearing up leave, Alejandro approached.

"Kira?" he asked. "Would you want to get some ice cream? There's a place just down the beach."

Kira looked at Sully and the Drake brothers around her, looking for some sort of approval. Sam looked apprehensive, Nate appeared caught off guard, and Sully relatively calm. "Go have fun, kiddo." He said before Sam could say anything. "Just be back home soon. It's late."

Kira smiled at the word _home_. She had a home.

After that, she walked off with Alejandro onto the beach, leaving Sam at a loss of words as he looked at Sully. "Are you crazy?" he eventually said. "We don't even know that kid! What if-"

"Sam," Sully cut him off. "I would never let the boy get as far as dancing with her if I thought he was a threat."

"How would you know?" Sam replied angrily.

"I've been here before," Sully explained. "He's a local kid that lives a local life. Goes to school, works selling produce for his Dad, and spends evenings with his friends and sisters having fun by going out dancing or to beach parties. I know you and Nate want to protect her, but I am sure if something did happen, she is more than capable of handling herself until we showed up to crack some skulls of it came down to it."

Sam heard Sully's words and felt a little better knowing that the boy was not completely unknown, but the idea of her off with someone in a new place still worried him. Sully put a hand on his shoulder. "You guys may be a tight team," he told Sam. "But she deserves every piece of something normal as much as you two do no matter how short-lived it may be. So, if it is getting ice cream with some boy, let her enjoy the moment."

Despite Sully's settling words and advice, Sam waited on the porch until Kira returned to the house. Nate retired to bed as soon as he was showered and in pajamas, the night's events successfully tiring him out. Sully also fell asleep on the couch once Sam told him he would stay up for Kira. He knew that Kira would return that night but could sleep knowing someone was waiting up for her.

Sam sat on the porch in his pajamas-a sleeveless shirt and shorts-as he awaited Kira's return. He was only sitting outside for about a half an hour before he heard voices in the distance getting closer, one of them Kira's. She soon appeared with Alejandro at the end of the small driveway outside of the house holding hands. They noticed Sam almost immediately, causing Alejandro to stop at the end of the driveway. He turned towards Kira, saying something to her which Sam assumed to be goodnight. Kira said something back and Sam expected her to begin walking towards the house after that, but then Alejandro surprised both of them. He leaned forward and kissed Kira gently on the cheek before letting go of her hand and leaving.

Kira stood frozen for a moment before turning to walk up to the house where Sam was still waiting. "You didn't have to stay up for me." She told him as she stepped onto the porch.

"Yes, I did." He replied, his annoyance at seeing Alejandro kissing her coming into his tone. "I wanted to make sure some stranger didn't abduct you."

Kira, sensing his tone, quickly replied. "Like you're one to talk." She said. "How many girls did you go out with between Colombia and London?"

"I knew them better!" Sam defended.

"No, you didn't Sam! They were girls you only knew for a couple of days! So, what's wrong with me going on a nice date for a change?"

"Because you're more likely to get abducted or killed because you're a pretty girl in a third world country!" Sam half-yelled as he stood up to meet her eyes. "And I _cannot_ lose you!"

Sam's words took Kira aback. She watched as his shoulders moved with every deep breath he took, and the emotion seeped into his eyes and face. She always knew Sam cared for her, but this was the first time she was seeing it like this. After realizing his own words and seeing Kira's facial reaction, he calmed down a bit. "You and Nate are all I have," he told her. "If I lose either of you, I wouldn't know how to handle that."

Before Sam could say anything more, Kira's arms were wrapped around his midsection. It caught him off guard at first, but he quickly hugged her back. He put a hand on the back of her head as he held her close to her, enjoying every second he could of her embrace. Her skin was warm against his and her hair tangled from the night of dancing, causing his fingers to get almost stuck in it. Her grip was tight as she clutched onto him, seemingly not wanting to let go. His hold was just as tight, the feeling if his arms around her and his hand in her hair like nothing she ever felt before.

A few minutes past until they parted, but Sam put his hands on the sides of her face to meet their eyes. "You will always be a priority in my life," he told her. "And I am always going to protect you, no matter what. Okay?"

Kira's eyes filled with tears that she made sure to keep in her eyes. Sam's care ran deeper than she fully realized, and she just saw it for the first time. All she could do was nod in response. He surprised her by kissing her forehead before wrapping his arms around her again in a tight hug as he was equally caught up in emotion as he let Kira see this side of him for the first time. He knew a large part of this was coming from wanting to always protect Kira, whom quickly became someone important in his life. However, he also knew there was a small part that did not like seeing her with another guy. He knew a part of him was jealous and wanted to be as close to Kira as he could for a moment.


	7. Honesty

**Costa Rica, 1990**

Kira woke up the next morning underneath the thin white sheets of her bed. She slowly opened her eyes to reveal the soft rays of light entering through the curtains, causing the room to become dimly lit from the morning light. She could still feel the tiredness underneath her eyes, most likely from lingering exhaustion. According to the clock on her bedside table, it was ten thirty which was a bit later for her to sleep in. She was normally up and moving by nine o'clock sharp, just from her internal alarm telling her to start the day. Once eight in the morning rolled around, she began to awake and would enjoy the comfort of her sheets for an additional thirty minutes before finally getting out of bed. After last night's dancing, dinner, and evening walk with Alejandro, her body still told her to return to her slumber. She listened for movement out in the living area and kitchen for any sign of the Drake brothers and Sully, hoping that if they were still asleep, she could remain in her bed. However, she did hear some moving around in what she presumed to be the kitchen. Seeing this as a sign to get up, she tossed the sheets off her and rolled out of bed.

Stepping into the bathroom, Kira was right when she predicted bags under her eyes. Anyone that looked at her would know that she was lacking some hours spent asleep, so she hoped a face wash with hot water and moisturizer would brighten her up a little. She was in no rush to get out to the kitchen, taking her time to make sure she scrubs out her pores and oily t-zone before rubbing some hydrating cream to avoid drying her skin out completely. When she looked into the mirror, her face definitely looked better, but still somewhat tired looking. She brushed her long black hair out next, the thought from the night before entering her mind. The long locks on her head approached an annoying length recently and it was already annoying her. Without allowing herself the time to think too hard about it, she pulled her hair into two ponytails before pulling out a pair of scissors from her medicine cabinet.

After several minutes of cutting, snipping, trimming, and overall guess work, Kira's black hair filled the bathroom sink and counter. What once reached the middle of her shoulder blades now only touched her shoulders. The back was slightly uneven, but she did not mind that much. Her hair found itself mostly tied into a ponytail or bun anyway and she did not care all that much about her hair looking perfect picture all the time. Most of her time was spent in museums, libraries, and temporary home and office spaces where she and the others would conduct their readings and research on whatever endeavor they were chasing next. So, if the ends of her hair lacked evenness, she did not care.

Once she made her bed, she got dressed, opting for her usual casual wear. Jean shorts, a white button up shirt with quarter sleeves, and an older pair of knock off, worn out Converse sneakers. After her bathroom was clean, her bedroom was picked up, and she was put together, it was only a little after eleven when she walked out of her bedroom to the kitchen. Out there, she found Sully making a pot of coffee while several ingredients sat on the counter. Eggs, cheese, spices, milk, and hot sauce all sat surrounded by some bowls, plates, utensils, and a pan. Sully was still in what looked to be pajamas; gray cotton shorts and a white t-shirt, his hair still rather tousled.

"It's about time one of you kids got out of bed." He teased as Kira walked to the fridge, pulling out the orange juice as her beverage of choice.

"It was an eventful night," She defended. "I needed some extra sleep."

Sully chuckled as she took a seat at the counter, grabbing a glass and sliding it over to her. She poured herself a full glass of juice, her first gulp effectively emptying half the glass. After she set the glass down, she filled it up again to have a full glass.

"Thirty?" Sully laughed, watching the girl down more juice.

"Very." Kira replied, her long sleep with no hydration catching up to her.

"What kind of eggs would you like?"

"Cheese omelet?"

"Coming up."

Kira watched Sully begin cracking eggs, adding in a splash of milk to make the eggs fluffy. He heated up the pan, coating it with cooking spray and allowing it to reach moderately high temperature before pouring the egg mixture in. She tapped her fingers on the counter as she watched, working up a way to begin a conversation she has been debating bringing up for a while.

"Something on you mind, young lady?" Sully asked, looking up at her where she sat as he cooked her omelet.

"Sorta, kinda." She admitted, sitting up straight. "If I asked you for a favor, do you think you could help me out?"

Sully flipped her omelet. "I suppose. What can I do for you?"

"You know about how I met Sam and Nathan a couple years back, and that I ran away from my foster family because they were awful," she began. "Well there's a tidbit of information that you guys don't know."

Sully raised his eyebrows. "And what would that be?"

Kira let out a breath. "The reason those people were so adamant about keeping me was because when I turn eighteen, I am going to receive an inheritance from my parents. I'll have to go to Egypt to do all the paperwork and meet with my parents' lawyer. The only problem is, my old foster family knows where that is and may try to use some sort of angle to take control of it. Legally, I am still their foster kid and even though I will be eighteen, they were hoping to find some sort of loophole to control my inheritance by saying I am too unstable, reckless, emotionally imbalanced, you get the idea."

"Hold up a second," Sully said as he took the pan containing Kira's omelet off the heat. "Why did your parents set it up for you to wait until you were eighteen?"

"Because it's a large inheritance and entrusted one of their trustees to hold onto it until I became an adult."

"And they didn't have anyone in line to take you in? After they died?"

"Both my parents were only children and their parents died when I was still really young. They had a colleague and close friend in line to take care of me, but child services could not get into contact with her. So, they placed me in the system."

Sully processed the information before speaking again. "So, what exactly do you need me to do?" he asked.

"First, we are going to have to make a trip to Egypt in the near-ish future," Kira began. "But the main thing is I need you locate my old foster parents before that time to make sure they don't try to step in where they have no business stepping in."

Sully let out a breath as he slid Kira's omelet onto a plate and slid it over to her. "Alright," he said. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, Sully." Kira said. "For your help and the omelet."

Sully smiled, watching as she began devouring her omelet. He would do just about anything for Kira and the Drake brothers, so the favor she asked for was by no means any kind of inconvenience. He only felt bad that her parents' death and events that followed still followed her around. Hopefully, with her eighteenth year in sight, she would be able to fully move on.

Nathan and Sam emerged from their room not too long later, just as Kira finished her omelet and second glass of orange juice. Nate's hair was all sorts of messy as was Sam's, both boys still in their pajamas and appearing more tired than Kira when she first awoke. Despite his sleepiness, Sam felt the corners of his mouth turn up when he saw Kira. She looked much more awake than he felt, already dressed and ready for the day.

"Morning," Kira greeted. "If you were asleep any longer, I would be saying afternoon."

Sully chuckled as he began cracking more eggs into a bowl. He asked they boys what kind of eggs they wanted, Nathan requesting scrambled and Sam dippy. Sully began cooking as the Drake brothers got their drinks of choice, Nathan milk and Sam coffee. They sat on either side of Kira, sandwiching her between the two of them. Regular conversation ensued, topics including the night before and what they wanted to do that day. Today was the day that Sully and Kira went to the market to pick up groceries for the week, Nate and Sam occasionally tagged along, but sometimes found themselves doing something else, anything from exploring other parts of the island, hanging out on the beach, or spending time at the local library. The weather called for possible rain today, so Nate opted for running into town to pick up some VCR tapes at one of the stores and retiring back home. Sam decided to tag along to the market as well just to get out of the house of they were going to be rained in later.

In town, there was a decent crowd out and about to purchase some of the fresh fruits and fish, as well as other items the marketplace offered. Booths lined the streets and main square, people selling everything from freshly caught fish from that morning to handcrafted jewelry. Nate wandered down to the stores to find a film, telling the other three he would catch up to them. After that, it was just Sam, Kira, and Sully. Sam watched as Kira looked up and down the booths, her tote bag around her arm. He smiled as he watched her pick up fruits, inspect them, and decided if she wanted them or not. The ones she liked, she handed the correct amount of money to the vendors before slipping the items into her bag. She purchased an assortment of fruits and veggies, some beans and other grains, and an assortment of spices that Sam guessed were to be used for whatever item she was thinking of cooking.

As the trio walked about the market, they kept an eye on the clouds to make sure they did not end up caught in any rain. The sun was still out with a few puffy white clouds, so it seemed like they were in good standing. Sully temporarily broke away from the two of them to pick up the refrigerator items from a corner store down the street, so Sam and Kira kept themselves entertained with some of the booths they had yet to visit. They did not exchange many words so far today, only some at breakfast and a few on the walk to the market place, but he guessed their interaction last night was in the back of her mind like it was for him. After they retired to bed for the night, Sam laid awake for a while, kicking himself for the jealous feelings he had earlier. Kira was only ever supposed to feel like a sister to him, nothing more. He made it his job to look after her and Nathan no matter what but seeing Kira with another guy got under his skin more than he ever thought it would. He hated how his feelings began to change and develop because he could not help wondering how Kira was feeling but did not want to ask at the same time.

Kira stopped at a booth, something shiny catching her eye. Sam stopped when she did and looked down to where Kira's eyes looked. It was a necklace with a simple brown leather band for instead of a typical chain with a turquoise stone pendant hanging off it encased by a bronze colored border. He saw Kira's eyes widen at the piece of jewelry and knew she wanted it.

He saw the price tag of forty US dollars and knew it was a little too steep for him to afford at the moment. Even if he could talk the woman selling it down to thirty, it would still be more money than he had to burn. He knew Kira would not spend her money on it, knowing that she the money she had went to necessities and whatever was leftover would be put in her savings fund for future needs. It upset him a bit, knowing Kira could not afford to treat herself with something as simple as a piece of jewelry for all that she has gone through and does for him, Nathan, and Sully. Before Sully came into the picture, she was the one whom managed most of the trio's money, as she seemed to be best at that sort of thing. She gave everyone a budget of what could be spent where, and most of what was left over went to a travel/savings fund. It proved to be effective and useful, especially when considering how Nate and Sam managed before Kira was around.

The sudden darkness drew everyone's attention to the skies where gray clouds began to form over the world, informing everyone that the forecasted rain was on its way. "We should probably get off the street." Kira told Sam with a smile, beginning to walk away. She hurried down the street, Sam's footsteps soon following behind her. He watched Kira's ponytail bounce up and down as she ran, making him smile. As he caught up to her, he shoved something deeper into his pocket before she could see.

 **OOOOO**

After waiting out the rain in the corner store with Sully, the three of them regrouped with Nate and headed back home. He picked up the film Die Hard, as it was one of very few movies that were in English. Once he made himself a snack, he set up on the couch and popped the movie in. Sully sat out on the porch smoking a cigar under the safety of the awning overtop where he sat. Kira was in her room reading a book when there was a knock on her door.

"Come in!" she said, putting a bookmark between her pages and closing her book.

The door opened and Sam walked in. "Hey." He greeted as he closed the door behind him.

"Hi," Kira greeted, wondering why Sam dropped in.

He walked over and sat on the side of her bed. By the look on his face, it looked like he was having some sort of internal struggle. "Are you alright?" Kira asked.

"Yeah," Sam told her. "I just wanted to talk for a minute."

"Okay. What's up?"

"I'm sorry if I upset you at all last night," he began. "I didn't mean to."

"You didn't." Kira reassured him, offering a smile. "I know you have your heart in the right place."

"It's a little more than that."

Kira furrowed her brows at the statement, not knowing where the conversation was going.

"I was being mostly truthful that I just look out for you because we're a team, but another part was I just didn't like seeing you with another guy."

Now fully understanding where the conversation was going, Kira's shoulders dropped. "Sam…"

"Look I know I can't feel anything like that for you; I just can't. But I just had to get it off my chest."

Kira felt herself heart drop at his words. He was professing something that was by no means easy. She would be lying if there were not moments where she felt herself looking at Sam in a more infatuated way, but quickly snapped out it. There were also times her heart skipped a beat when he would link their arms, so Kira did not need to deal with unwanted meal attention. All the little exchanged looks and interactions added up for her to the point that she knew deep down, there were feelings for Sam. However, he was too important her to risk losing. She would rather be in his life as close friends than risk being nothing because of a failed relationship. Plus, he was older than her. Not by much, but she was still only a teenager while he was almost twenty-one. That did not even begin to touch on the fact how it would go over with Nate and Sully. It just was not feasible to even consider a relationship.

Sam pulled something out of his pocket and Kira let out a small gasp. It was the necklace from earlier. "I know I promised to minimize my thievery, but you deserve to have something a little materialistic."

Kira could not help but let out a little chuckle. "Thank you, Sam."

"May I?" he asked as he held up the necklace by both ends.

Kira nodded and turned herself around so Same could put the necklace on her. He raised in above her head and clasped it around her neck, Kira raising her hand to the stone as she turned back around to look at him.

"I love it." She told him.

"Now you'll always have something to remind you of me," he pointed out. "If there's ever a time where I'm not with you, you'll have that as a way to feel like I am."

Kira smiled as she wrapped her arms around Sam. He returned the embrace, enjoying every second of it he could. He took notice of every detail. The soft cotton blend of her sweatshirt, the fruity aroma coming off her hair, the warmth of her body. Every detail was locked away in his memory so he could always comeback to this moment. The future was uncertain, but no matter how it turned out, he could come back to this moment where he had Kira in his arms.


	8. Promise Fulfilled

**Costa Rica 1991**

Kira sat on the couch with a book, enjoying the silence surrounding her. Nathan and Sam went off after breakfast to the beach while she chose to remain home, taking advantage of the peace and quiet the house now possessed. Sully went off to meet up with one of his local contacts not long after Sam and Nathan left which allowed Kira the house to herself. Once everyone had left, she spread out on the couch with her book and a bowl of popcorn on the table to munch on as she read. It was the type of moment that she realized how far she has come since being a runaway foster kid. Back then she was constrained to Philadelphia, unable to move too far due of lack of funds and the harsh circumstances she found herself in. Now, she was enjoying a book in the safety of a Costa Rican home.

As she turned her page, Kira mindlessly brought a hand to the pendant hanging around her neck. Feeling the familiar stone brought a smile to her face at the thought of Sam. Every time she looked at it and felt the stone on her fingertips, she thought of him and what it meant. Despite the necklace being stolen, Kira appreciated it nonetheless and promised Sam she would always wear it no matter what. The piece was as sentimental as it was beautiful, and Kira was grateful to own such a nice piece of jewelry. Nevertheless, it reminded Kira of Sam's confession to her a few days prior. There was a part of her that hurt knowing the likelihood of her and Sam having a relationship were slim to none, but at the same time she did not want to risk losing him. He was just too important. The sound of the front door opening pulled Kira from her thoughts. She turned her head at the sound, seeing Sully enter the scene.

"Hey Sully," Kira greeted, closing her book. "How was your afternoon?"

Sully approached the couch, his expression seemingly distraught. This worried Kira; she never saw Sully with that look. He sat down next to her, letting out an exhale as he sat back.

"I found some of the information you asked me to," he told. "Was a bit surprised to say the least."

Kira sat up straight, intrigued to know what he found. She felt her heartbeat quicken, the thought of learning new information about the foster parents whom mistreated her exciting in a way. "Well?" she asked.

"The man who was our foster father," Sully began, meeting her eyes. "He was found dead in Philadelphia International three years ago from strangulation."

The information hit Kira like a ten-ton truck. Her mind went back to that day, Sam telling her to hide in the bathroom while he located her foster father in the airport after realizing he was there. He told Kira that she was long gone, on a plane never to be seen by him again. When he explained it to her, she had no reason to doubt him or what he told her. Now though, the truth was coming to light. Sam did something so much more then divert their trail and tell a lie. He did something Kira dreamed of doing for as long as she was with that family. At first, she was mad that he never told her, but at the same time knew Sam must have had a reason. She also knew that he did what he did to protect her and that was all that went through his mind in that airport.

"Do they know who did it?" Kira asked, doing her best to keep her tone as even as possible.

"No, they found him in a supply closet and none of the camera footage didn't reveal anything," Sully told her. "Partly because two of them near where they found him were dismantled and the other cameras had god awful quality."

"And his wife?"

"She took what he left her and moved down to Florida. The insurance she got must have been enough to leave you and your inheritance alone."

Kira laughed at that. "She had an interest in it, but never bothered with me and let her husband lead the way trying to take my inheritance. I think she was just pretty miserable with him and looking for a way out."

"Well she got one," Sully assured. "The case is cold, probably lost to the filing cabinet in a Philly precinct."

"What about Egypt?"

"Once you're eighteen, we can fly there whenever you are ready. I know a guy out there that can put us up temporarily while you sort out what you need to."

Kira smiled, scooching down the couch and wrapping her arms around Sully. It caught him off guard, but he hugged the young girl back nonetheless as he smiled. Despite the dark information he discovered in finding the whereabouts of her foster family, he could tell based on what she told him that it was a giant weight lifted off her shoulders. He also knew it must of felt nice having people she could rely on for this type of stuff now that her parents were gone. While she was by no means related to him through blood, he looked at her like a daughter. He made a silent promise to watch over her and the Drake brothers to make sure they always had someone else to rely on.

"Not to pry," Sully said as they broke apart. "But do you know anything about what happened in that airport?"

Kira's eyes fell. "Sully…" she began but trailed off. There was no easy way to say that Sam was the one responsible for what happened to her foster father. "He was never gonna leave me alone." While Kira knew the truth of the situation, it would be a secret she carried between her and Sam. All Sully needed to know was that he was a bad person whom could never bother her or them ever again. For him, that was enough.

"Good enough for me." He said, standing up from the couch and heading into the kitchen. "Now how about some lunch?"

 **OOOOO**

Sully and Kira ate lunch together in the kitchen, opting for some loaded grilled cheeses complete with American and cheddar cheese, pickles, onions, brown mustard, and mayo between two thick slices of bread. They paired it with a couple of sodas and chips as well as a more light-hearted conversation after the somber one they had earlier. After they ate, Sully retired to the couch to watch something on daytime television. Kira felt like going outside after eating such a big lunch, so she decided to head to the beach where Sam and Nathan still were. Once she was changed into a swimsuit and a coverup, she tossed a towel, sunscreen, and a bottle of water into her tote bag and headed for the water.

On the beach, Sam and Nathan were enjoying in the crystal-clear Costa Rican waters. Nathan was swimming around the water to look at the many types of fish swimming about the coral formations scattered up and down the sand. Sam opted for floating on his back, enjoying the cool water on his warm skin. His eyes were closed to keep the harsh rays out of his eyes and simply listened to the sounds of the waves, children playing, and sea birds calling out to one another. The moment was as peaceful as it could be. Nathan soon surfaced by him, revealing his face covered by his snorkeling mask. It made Sam laugh as he switched from floating to treading water.

"How goes it fish boy?" Sam questioned with a chuckle.

"Not bad," he said. "I know where I'm retiring one day."

"Yeah?"  
"I am gonna have a house on a beach somewhere to do this type of shit every day."

Sam let out a loud laugh, happy to hear that his brother was enjoying life. It was hard to believe he was sixteen now, remembering how young Nathan was when they escaped the orphanage. He grew several inches, remained attached to his longer haircut that always got in his eyes, and could eat as much as a horse. Sam could tell he would be a hit with the ladies seeing as how most girls would eye him up when they walked around town and the beach. Sam would just roll his eyes when Nathan shed light on it, allowing his brother to feed the ego that grew as he did.

As Nathan and Sam chatted, they heard a familiar voice call their names out from the shoreline. They turned towards the beach and saw Kira standing by the water, her smile visible from the distance between them. Sam felt himself instantly smile, raising an arm to wave to her. Nathan waved as well while his own smile formed.

"You coming in?" Nathan called out to her.

"After I put sunscreen on!" Kira called back before laying out a towel and sitting down.

Nathan disappeared back under the water, but Sam remained with his eyes on the beach. He watched as Kira pulled her cover-up off, revealing all the skin her swim suit left exposed. Her natural olive tone skin was deepened with her the tan she received from the Costa Rican sun. She tied her hair up into a bun and began applying sunscreen to her legs when Sam noticed a guy approaching her. He looked around their age but had a few inches on Kira, putting him around Sam's height. This caused Sam's demeanor to change as he watched the man say something to her.

Before he did anything drastic, he watched the encounter unfold. Kira engaged with him, most likely saying hello as she shook his hand. The guy said something else, causing Kira to shake her head. She turned her head to the water, motioning towards Sam as she said something else. The guy then sat down on the sand next to her and continued talking, resulting in Kira's face to change from friendly to annoyed.

Seeing this as good a sign as any to insert himself in the situation, Sam began swimming for the shore. He knew he had feelings for Kira and they both shared the same opinion that they would not work, but he still took it upon himself to protect her from any sort of danger. His plan was not to see every guy as a threat to Kira, but to keep the ones that were away from her. The change in Kira's expression made him believe she did not want this guy near her, and Sam took it upon himself to help. It did not take Sam long to reach the shore, and he walked towards where Kira was still seated with the guy next to her. Her expression looked more annoyed while the guy continued talking.

"You aren't bothering her, are you?" Sam questioned the guy, his tone serious right out of the gate. He did not feel like dragging this out.

"I'm just chatting with the girl," the guy replied. "I think you're the one bothering us."

Sam looked to Kira who offered a look that let him know she wanted him gone. "I think it would be best if you just left her alone." He told the guy.

This caused the man to stand, getting eye level with Sam. "Why don't you get lost?"

"Because you're bothering my girl."

Hearing those words out of Sam's mouth caused a flutter in Kira's stomach. While she knew this was something they did to keep guys away from her, knowing what she knew now about Sam and his feelings for her added a whole new perspective to it. Not only that, but she knew now how far Sam was willing to go for her. This new fact was something she would need to keep in mind to avoid any serious issues from arising down the road.

The guy just scoffed, looking back at Kira and then at Sam again. "Whatever," he said. "She would probably be too easy anyway. No challenge and I'd be bored after an hour."

Sam was not a hundred percent sure what happened next, all he knew was his body took over. His arm pulled back and his fist went straight into the stranger's face. The guy recovered quickly from the blow and tackled Sam into the sand. Once he had the upper hand, the guy sent a punch across Sam's face. The blow sent caused Sam to see stars, but it only added to his adrenaline that allowed him to throw the stranger off him. He got on top of him and delivered another punch to his opponent, but before anything more could be done two hands pulled him up.

"Sam, stop!" the familiar sound of Nathan's voice yelled.

Nathan held onto his brother's arms and pulled him away from the stranger, holding him back to keep him from fighting more. Sam's eyes stayed on the guy as he rolled over in the sand, spitting out blood from his mouth. Then, Kira appeared in front of him, drawing his attention away from the fight and to her.

"Sam, calm down!" she said breathlessly. "Just calm down."

Sam could see the worry and concern on her face, his actions concerning her more than she thought. Today she found out Sam killed the man who abused her as a foster kid but watching Sam fight in front of her made her more unsettled. Mainly, because she watched someone punch and fight back. As she looked at him, shew watched blood run down from the cut on his face and saw the mark already forming on his cheek from where he got punched.

"Let's just go home, okay?" she whispered to him, exchanging a worried look with Nathan before the two of the led Sam away from the scene and back towards their house.

 **OOOOO**

Once Nate and Kira got Sam home, Kira took him right to the bathroom to treat his face while Nate explained the situation to a perplexed Sully on the couch. Once in the bathroom, Kira sat Sam on the toilet as she fished in the cabinet for Neosporin and band aids. During the whole walk back, Sam remained silent despite Nate asking what happened, causing Kira giving the answer. Luckily, neither Sam or the guy on the beach got seriously hurt so that was the silver lining of the day.

"How bad does it hurt?" Kira asked as she kneeled in front of Sam with a washcloth and disinfectant. She pressed the damp cloth to his face as he met her eyes, his irises already echoing an apologetic glimpse.

"I'm sorry," he told her. "I didn't mean to snap like that."

Kira offered him a smile. "While I don't condone fighting, how am I gonna get mad for following through on your promises of protection?"

Sam chuckled, relieved to see that Kira did not take his actions the wrong way. He did not act out of jealousy, only worry for her. His face scrunched up as Kira put the disinfectant on his cut before putting the band-aid over it. "Besides, I'm glad you stepped in. The guy wouldn't leave me alone." Kira sat back and assessed her work. "Well, that's all you need besides ice."

"Thanks, Kira." Sam said as he went to stand up.

"Wait."

Kira reached a hand forward and placed it on Sam's bare chest. She realized that Sam was only in his swim trunks still, leaving him shirtless. The feeling of her hand on his bare skin made Sam's feel like fireworks were going off under her fingers. He looked at her and saw the change of emotion in her eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me what happened in the airport in Philly?" Kira questioned, making Sam's heart drop to the floor.

"What do you mean?' he asked through the lump in his throat.

"You know what I mean…"

Sam averted his gaze as he reached up and took Kira's hand in his. He knew she would find out one way or another about what he did that day, but he realized he was not prepared for the questions that would follow. He worried she would judge him, hate him, look at him differently, or all the above. He was afraid he would lose her for lying but based on how she was talking to him, she did not seem all that angry. Taking a breath, Sam told her.

"I knew he wasn't gonna stop trying to find you," he started. "And after seeing how he treated you in that hotel…I was afraid he'd do worse if ever took you again. So, I led him to an area that didn't have many cameras, undid the two that were there, and I did what I did. I'm sorry I lied to you, but I just didn't want you to hate me or feel like you weren't safe around me."

Kira pulled her hand from Sam's, momentarily worrying him until she felt her warm hands on the sides of his face. She forced him to look up at her, meeting her brown eyes with his. "I will always feel safe with you, Sam," she told him. "You just punched a guy out for bothering me. What you did in Philly was something I dreamed of doing for a long time and knowing that he is gone forever takes so much weight off my shoulders."

Sam smiled, putting one of his hands over Kira's as he realized he was not going to lose her over any of what happened. Seeing her in front of him with her brown eyes looking back at him made him want to kiss her so much. Her face was so close to his, his eyes darting to down at her lips before quickly looking at her eyes again. Everything in him wanted to lean forward and kiss her with everything he had but knew he could not do that. It would only complicate things. Kira was thinking the same thing, but for her it was harder. Knowing everything that Sam had done for her made her want to kiss him more than he realized, and she knew it would be hard to resist. "If I do something, will you promise me it won't change things between us?" Sam furrowed his eyebrows and realized what she may have meant. If she was thinking the same thing he was, he knew that if they stepped over that boundary things may not be the same between them. Even if it was one simple kiss, Sam knew what he felt for Kira could not be well suppressed if he was able to share just one kiss with her.

"Kira…" Sam said through a breath as he kept their eyes locked. "I can't cross that line. I want to, I don't think you know how badly I want to, but I can't."

Realizing that Sam was right, she dropped her hands from Sam's face as she sat back on her heels. She let out a frustrated breath, running a hand through her hair and dropping her eyes to the floor. Sam move down and sat with her on the floor of the small bathroom, forcing them to sit close to one another. He put an arm around her to pull her into his side, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder. Sam rested his head on hers and closed his eyes. Part of him wished he never told Kira about how he felt about her since it could have made both their lives easier. Now, the two of them needed to fight whatever feelings they possessed despite knowing how the other one felt. Another part of Sam was glad he told Kira though because at least he knew the feelings were not one sided. Nevertheless, they were here; the two of them sitting on a bathroom floor struggling to keep their feelings as just that and not actions.


End file.
